Sunday, February 12, 2017

UAE Sets Global Framework for Governments to Prioritize Happiness as Key Measure of Progress & Development

With
the World Health Organization expecting depression to rank in the top
three biggest diseases within the next 15 years, over 300 global
experts, scientists and decision makers met in Dubai today for the first
Global Dialogue on Happiness.

The conference is a global
initiative driven by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and
Ruler of Dubai and intends to create a framework for governments to
align their policies with the happiness and well-being of their people.
To underscore its commitment to this initiative, the UAE has created an
official cabinet-level position focused specifically on happiness.

The Global Dialogue on Happiness is a pre-event to the 2017 World Government Summit, beginning 12 February in Dubai.

UAE
Minister of State for Happiness H.E. Ohood Bint Khalfan Al Roumi,
outlined the sense of urgency and moral imperative of governments to
take the well-being of their citizens seriously: “350 million people
globally suffer depression and 800,000 people between the ages of 15-29
commit suicide annually.” she said.

The UAE is tackling these
concerns directly, convening global experts on happiness to build a
framework to implement ideas that will potentially affect substantial
positive change and build happiness in societies. According to findings
from “A 75-Year Study on Human Happiness,” by Dr. Robert Waldinger,
Harvard Professor of Clinical Psychology: “Close relationships were the
strongest predictor of what kept people happy throughout their lives.”

Helen
Clark, Administrator of the UNDP spoke about the Human Development
Index and reinforced the need to measure happiness to accurately assess
and compare progress across countries.

Prime Minister of Bhutan
Tshering Tobgay spoke about his country’s Gross National Happiness
initiative which considers responsibility of individual happiness in the
same way it thinks about education, healthcare or any other public
good. “Great philosophers and religious leaders have devoted their
lives to teaching people how to be happy,” he said. “Why don’t
governments make happiness a public good rather than relegating it to an
individual pursuit?”

The 2017 World Government Summit features
150 speakers across 114 sessions that highlight the world’s most
pressing challenges and showcase best practices and cutting-edge
solutions to deal with them.